oc·e·lot (?s??-l?t?, ??s?-)n. A nocturnal wildcat (Leopardus pardalis) of brush and woodland from southwest North America to central South America, having a grayish or yellow coat with black spots.[French, from Nahuatl ocelotl.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.ocelot (??s??l?t; ???-) n (Animals) a feline mammal, Felis pardalis, inhabiting the forests of Central and South America and having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat[C18: via French from Nahuatl ocelotl jaguar]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014oc?e?lot (??s ??l?t, ?o? s?-) n. a spotted wildcat, Felis pardalis, ranging from Texas through South America. [1765?75;